Follow these instructions to properly winterize your hot tub if you must cover it for the season.
It seems like the ideal approach to beat the winter gloom would be to take a soothing bath in a bubbling hot tub. However, many hot tub owners shut down their personal spa while they prepare their summer cabin or getaway house for the winter. A hot tub has to be properly winterized, much like its bigger relative, the swimming pool.
Even if you do want to use your hot tub throughout the winter, you need still shield it from the weather. Here are some pointers and advice on how to properly winterize a hot tub.
Why Should Your Hot Tub Be Winterized?
In order to guard against the detrimental effects of cold temperatures, hot tubs need to be winterized. Hot tub pipes may freeze and cause cracks in the pipes, the heater, or the pump, just like they can in a pool" (ASP).
Pulling the plug then letting the water out isn't enough to complete the task properly. When it's time to use a hot tub again, it could not be ready if you don't properly winterize it.
Winterizing a Hot Tub
Draining and eliminating all the water in the systems would be a good start if you do not plan on utilizing your solitary outdoor hot tub. But if you take a few more steps now, filling it back up will go much faster.
These actions comprise:
Verify regional specifications: Before you begin, find out from your local government whether it is acceptable to pour chemically treated water down the main drain. The hot tub water will need to be drained onto your grass otherwise.
- Remove filters: This stops clogs throughout the next procedures.
- Include a hot tub cleaner: Add a cleanser to the water and let it run for an hour before emptying. As the product's name indicates, it will "eliminate the 'yuk' from your tub lines, equipment, and nooks and crannies."
- Open All Closed Valves: After the cleaner has completed its circuit of the system, open all closed valves to allow the water to drain. One pump may have frozen plugs on the pump housing that can be difficult to identify. Another might have a drain petcock designed to drain every last drop of water at the lowest drain point. Service technicians would be familiar with all the details of various brands and models. Keep the hot tub's lid off for at least 3 days after draining the water into your grass to allow the chlorine to break down.
- Cleanse the hot tub's body: With a soft cloth or sponge and any non-foaming all-purpose cleaner, remove oil and filth once the tub has been drained.
- Clean the hot tub. After cleaning, use a microfiber towel to fully dry the tub.
- Cover the hot tub. Unless you're letting the chlorine spread, as mentioned above, install the hard-top cover.
- Replace or clean filters: If your filters are dirty, you should replace or clean them right away. They will be considerably more difficult to clean in the spring if you let them sit unclean all winter. Before storing filters for the winter, let them dry fully. If they need to be replaced, acquire them now so you can quickly install them in the spring.
How Would You Use Your Hot Tub During the Winter?
We advise purchasing a hard-top cover to keep the heat in. Keep the heater running constantly, keeping the temperature five degrees below the level for normal use. When it's time for a soak, it will use less energy this way and heat up more quickly.